The Presidency of James Buchanan
By: by Elbert B. Smith.
Series: American Presidency series
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Published: 1975
Place of publication: Lawrence
Language: eng
Number of pages: 225
Subjects: Buchanan, James, 1791-1868; United States -- Politics and government -- 1857-1861
Description: This book offers conclusions that are very different from most of the traditional historical interpretations of the Buchanan presidency. Historians have either condemned Buchanan for weakness and vacillation or portrayed him as a president dedicated to peace who did everything constitutionally possible to avoid war. Under the scrutiny of Elbert B. Smith, Buchanan emerges as a strong figure who made vital contributions not to peace but to the accelerating animosities that produced the war.
Notes: Bibliography: p. 209-217.
Includes index.